I said I'm human!
by The Sangheili Mutant
Summary: What happens when Sam, Dean, and Bobby head to Phoenix, Arizona for a case that turns out to be more than they can handle? What if the help of three more hunters and an angel does more harm than good?
1. Chapter 1: The Plan

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the characters of Supernatural. Nor do I affiliate my story with the show's ingenious crew. This story is my own creation, based on the events of the show.

**A/N**: This is set between 5x4 'The End' and 5x5 'Fallen Idols'. It also references the events during 5x2 'Good God, Y'all'.

**A/N 2**: Slightly AU, because Bobby didn't get paralyzed from the stabbing in the season 5 premiere.

Chapter 1: The Plan

When War came to him, Pestilence could immediately tell his sibling was in bad shape. He caught his collapsing brother in his arms, catching sight of the severed fingers.

"Who did this to you, brother?" he asked, helping War into a chair.

"Winchesters." his brother replied, slowly becoming pale and tired. Famine and Death appeared in Pestilence's office, as they too sensed the demise of War.

"It was the Winchesters." he informed as Death knelt before War. With a single touch, Death cauterized the severed fingers, but they all knew what would happen to their fallen brother. The longer the ring was away, the further War would progress into a catatonic state.

"I'm going to rip those two apart!" Pestilence roared, angrily pacing his office.

"In time, brother. These Winchesters are clearly more dangerous than any of us anticipated." Famine warned.

"What do you propose we do then?" Pestilence spat.

"Calm yourself, brother. I have a plan." Death said, grabbing a bowl and a knife. The brothers quickly caught on to the idea and retrieved various herbs and other necessities.

"Won't this anger Lucifer?" War asked tiredly.

"Screw the Devil! He wants the Winchesters so bad, he can glue them back together when we're done!" Pestilence answered harshly as he prepared the altar.

"He's right. Lucifer may have bound us to him, but he can't control our every move." Famine chimed in, grinding the herbs.

Death vanished as he went to gather more ingredients. When Famine finished mixing the spices with the herbs, the eldest of the Horsemen returned with four bodies.

"Zombie?" Famine asked, sniffing the air.

"Along with a werewolf, vampire, and croatoan." Death added. Pestilence held a bowl under each creature as Death slashed the corpses' throats, trying to get an equal ratio of the different bloods into the bowl. Famine gladly consumed the corpses as Death mixed the blood into the herb mixture.

"And now for the final ingredient." Death spoke, slicing his hand open with the knife. A couple drops of his blood fell into the bowl before the wound healed itself. Pestilence and Famine quickly added their blood to the mix, but on War's turn, it took nearly thirty seconds for the wound to completely heal, deeply worrying his brothers.

After one final mixing, Pestilence teleported away, returning moments later with a cowering teenage boy. The kid's brown eyes shone with fear as he trembled, looking from one Horseman to the other.

"Where am I?" the boy asked, backing away nervously.

"That's not important, Jason." Death answered, grabbing the boy's arm.

"Ow! Let me go!" Jason yelled, trying to wriggle free.

"This might hurt. A lot." Death said, tilting Jason's head up. Pestilence poured the bowl's contents down the gagging boy's throat, enjoying the struggles. Jason was released from Death's hold and he collapsed, twitching. The boy's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he started frothing at the mouth, shaking violently.

The four Horsemen watched intently as the boy stilled, then bolted upright, snarling as his eyes turned red.

"Damn. I was betting on werewolf." War said, chuckling lightly, and then coughing.

"Where did you get this boy?" Death asked as Jason jumped to his feet.

"Phoenix." Pestilence replied casually as Jason ran towards them.

"Send him back." Death ordered.

Pestilence snapped his fingers and Jason vanished.

"Now we wait. The virus will spread so fast, the Winchesters will be there by breakfast." Death stated.

_One hour later…_

"Sam! Bobby! Lunch is here!" Dean yelled, closing the door behind him.

"Please tell me you didn't get Biggerson's. Again." Sam said, entering the kitchen.

Dean glanced at the bag and quickly turned it around so Sam couldn't see the logo. "What? No! Why would I…" Dean stopped as Sam gave him 'the look'. The one that seemed to say "I can see right through your little white lies, Mister."

"I got you something different this time, I swear!" the elder Winchester declared as Bobby came into his kitchen.

"You boys need to stop with all that greasy garbage. That stuff'll kill you." Bobby said, peeking into the bag.

"Relax, grandpa. I got you the Garden-Veggie-Healthy-Crap Salad. You'll pee green." Dean remarked, pulling out the container full of lettuce and handing it to Bobby.

"Just because I'm old don't mean I can't kick your ass, boy." Bobby said, dropping the Styrofoam container onto the table.

"I'll keep that in mind." Dean said, giving Sam his meal.

"What the hell is this, Dean?" Sam asked, opening the container warily.

"Relax. It's not road kill. It's some, uh, Chicken Ranch Wrap." Dean said before taking a bite of his Bacon Cheeseburger. Sam inspected the contents of the wrap before sampling it, seeming to agree with the taste as he took another bite.

After their meal, Bobby left to search the news for a new case.

"How's he doing?" Dean asked upon returning from tossing the Biggerson's bag.

"Surprisingly good considering he got stabbed barely two weeks ago. He's lucky he only got away with a slight limp." Sam said.

"Damn lucky." Dean added.

"Boys? You might want to see this!" Bobby called. The brothers entered Bobby's study/parlor, eyes moving to the TV.

"_The CDC has been called in to Phoenix, Arizona after several residents came down with a mysterious virus. Local authorities strongly urge residents to stay, and tourists to stay away. We have no word on the cause of the outbreak…"_

"Looks like we got a gig." Dean said, arms crossed.

"Yeah, and take a look at this." Bobby said, handing Sam his laptop.

"Okay, uh, apparently Jason Bertemme, 17, was admitted to St. Joseph's Hospital. Symptoms included violent outbursts, petechial hemorrhaging of the eyes, confusion, inability to speak…Oh, crap. Is this the croatoan virus?" Sam asked.

"Sure looks like it." Bobby answered, standing up.

"Well, let's go, ladies. We leave now, we should be able to get there for breakfast." Dean said, shouldering his every-ready duffel bag.


	2. Chapter 2: Welcome to Phoenix

Chapter 2: Welcome to Phoenix

Approximately 20 hours on the road, 1,507 miles, 5 gas fill-ups, 6 pee breaks, and close to $210 dollars in gas later, the trio arrived at the capitol of Arizona. It was only 8:10 in the morning and the temperature was already nearing the low 80's!

"Does something seem not right to you guys?" Dean asked as they entered the almost empty diner. They moved to a booth, and were greeted by a waitress as they sat.

"Excuse me, miss, but shouldn't there...I mean…where is everybody?" Bobby asked.

"CDC is pretty much quarantining the entire city, so people are staying I their homes to be safe." the waitress said, handing out menus.

"Yeah, I think I heard about that on the news." Bobby said, faking surprise.

"It's terrible. This place is usually packed by now, if not earlier." the waitress said, pointing to a flyer that read '_Morning Special! Your choice of bacon or sausage, any style of eggs, and potatoes or toast. Only $4.99 weekday mornings 6-10 AM._'

"Oooh, that sounds good." Dean said, practically drooling.

"Can I start you off with something to drink?" she asked.

"I'm sure you can," Dean began, glancing at the name tag. "Gina." he finished, smiling up at her.

"You're cute, hun, but I'm getting married in a month." she said, holding up her hand to show off the ring.

"Coffee, black." Dean said as his smile vanished.

"Me too, thanks." Sam added.

"Water is fine for me." Bobby said.

After ordering their breakfasts and eating them, they checked into a motel for some much needed rest; Bobby getting his own room.

_He turned into the alley, gun drawn, expecting to find the shape shifter he was after. Instead, he was faced with Nick, the man currently being possessed by Lucifer._

"_You can't hide from me forever, Sam." he said. Sam turned away, but Nick was there, too._

"_I found you before, I'll find you again." he added, smirking. Sam fired his gun into Lucifer's face, which of course did nothing. He watched, unable to move, as the hole healed on its own, leaving no trace that the wound was even there._

"_Sammy…" the devil whined, his lower lip sticking out as he pouted. "You know you can't kill me."_

He practically jumped out of bed as he woke, beads of sweat clinging to his body. He tried shaking the image of Lucifer's smirk as he said 'you know you can't kill me' out of his mind, but it refused to leave. He looked outside, the bright afternoon sun heating the atmosphere. He dimly remembered hearing the temperatures could very well breach 100 degrees.

As Sam was heading for the bathroom, he noticed something out the window, freezing as he recognized the boy.

"Dean, wake up!" he urged, grabbing his pistol. Dean groaned as he sat up, running a hand over his face.

"Jason's outside." he said, checking his side arm's ammo. Dean was instantly put on alert, pulling his gun out from beneath his pillow.

"How the hell did that croat escape the hospital?" Dean asked, peeking through the door's peephole.

"No idea. Come on." Sam said, unlocking the door.

As they stepped outside, they spotted Jason across the street, running around the almost-ghost-town. Dean aimed, ready to put him down.

"Wait!" Sam quietly hissed, pointing towards the motel's front desk. The door was open, revealing blood-stained walls and an overturned chair. They then noticed the blood covering Jason's mouth and shirt.

"Okay, he doesn't seem to notice us. I'll check out the office, you get Bobby. We don't know how many are out here." Dean whispered, visibly sweating.

"Be careful." Sam said, approaching Bobby's room. He knocked twice, glancing at Dean and Jason.

"Bobby." he said, knocking louder.

"I'm coming! Idjit." Bobby replied. The door opened and Bobby immediately noticed the croatoan.

"Get in the room! Sam, get in there!" Dean yelled. Sam and Bobby turned to see Dean running toward them, followed by two more croatoans, a vampire, and a zombie. Sam shot at an advancing Jason, missed, and stepped into Bobby's room, followed by Dean. The door was shut and locked, but they all knew what little protection it would offer.

"So we've got croatoans, zombies, _and_ vampires here?" Sam asked, baffled.

"It's a regular monster mash." Dean said as he checked the bathroom. Bobby pulled a home-made flamethrower from his duffle bag and the three hunters braced themselves.

The window shattered as one of the croatoans jumped in, followed by the other croatoan and the zombie. The hunters opened fire, easily dispatching their foes. As they focused on Jason and the vampire, the monsters bolted. Sam and Dean immediately gave chase, but lost them behind the motel. They returned to Bobby's room, trying to decipher what had just happened.


	3. Chapter 3: We've got a situation here

**A/N**: Everyone's favorite trench coat-wearing angel appears in the story now!

Chapter 3: We've got a situation here

"What the hell?" Bobby asked, speaking everyone's minds.

"You got me." Dean replied, setting his gun on the table.

Sam crouched by the bodies, inspecting them. The zombie was pretty charred, but the croats were in perfect condition aside from the headshots. "Hey, guys?" he asked, looking up.

"Whatcha got?" Dean asked.

"Check this out." Sam replied, pulling down the collar of one of the victims' shirts.

"Is that a-"

"Vampire bite." Bobby finished, confirming it.

"How the hell does a vampire bite turn this poor S.O.B. into a croatoan?" Dean asked.

"A minute ago, I would've said it wasn't possible." Bobby said.

"This might sound farfetched, but what if the vampire was infected with the croatoan virus?" Sam asked.

"Vamp didn't look infected to me." Dean said.

"Well, maybe…" Sam trailed off, at a loss.

"We need to get to that hospital. If the kid escaped, who knows what damage he caused over there." Bobby said.

The trio dressed in their government attire and drove to St. Joseph's Hospital, fake ID's and real guns ready to pull out at a moment's notice. However, as they approached the hospital, they noticed several anomalies that immediately put them all on alert.

Shattered windows, a couple crushed or overturned cars, a blood-spattered ambulance…

"This doesn't look good." Dean said, taking in the sight.

"You think?" Bobby retorted, slightly worried about the whole situation.

"Why are there no cops here?" Sam asked, searching for a police car with no luck.

"Why is there no anybody here?" Dean asked as he glanced down the road. There were no cars, no people, not even a bird was in sight.

"Quarantine?" Bobby suggested, opening the main doors. The inside of the hospital was just as doomy as the outside.

"Hello?" Sam called, trying to hear a reply. They split up and each took a floor; Bobby had the ground floor, Dean had the second, and Sam had the third.

(Bobby)

Before the boys were completely out of his sight, he began his search of the floor, deciding to head into the emergency room. Pools of blood, severed limbs, and mutilated bodies seemed to be the décor of choice for the hospital, it seemed. After doing a quick sweep of the room, he continued on, searching some closets and side rooms before ending up in the waiting room.

He could tell something was with him, he could hear it moving behind the desk at the end of the room. He slowly walked towards it, step by step, his finger lightly curled around the trigger. He could see some poor girl's body moving around as if something was eating her. That's when he heard the growl, low, but unmistakable.

"Oh, balls!" he whispered, slowly backing away. He caught a glimpse of the werewolf, baffled at how animalistic it looked. The werewolf looked up from behind the desk, placing it's forefeet on the bloody table. It stared at him as he backed away, licking blood from its muzzle. The desk creaked under the creature's weight as it hopped onto the top.

Bobby had just backed out of the room as the beast charged, launching itself forward as it jumped off its pedestal. He slammed the door shut, wishing he had silver bullets with him as he looked for something to barricade the door with. Using his body weight as temporary fortification, he scanned the area, finding nothing to help him within arm's reach.

He felt a breeze and Castiel appeared before him, revealing his angel blade.

"You might want to move." the angel warned. Bobby ran forward as fast as he could, looking back in time to see Castiel skewer the lycanthrope on his angel blade. The kill was instantaneous, something he was grateful for. However, when it reverted back to its original form, he was shocked to see a German Shepard lying on the floor.

'_Explains why it was so hairy…and more wolf-like_.' he thought.

"I believe that's what you refer to as 'having your back'." Cas said.

"Yeah. Thanks." Bobby said, out of breath. "Listen, do you have any idea what's going on around here?" he asked.

"You're referring to the apparent slaughter of this city." Cas stated.

"Yeah." Bobby stated matter-of-factly, unsure if Cas asked a question or stated a comment. "We don't know what's causing it." he added.

Cas turned to him, sheathing his angel blade. "Neither do we." he said.

(Dean)

Sam continued up the stairs, wishing him luck as he did so. Dean readied his weapon and slowly opened the door, peeking in at first. When no immediate threat was detected, he opened the door fully, and stepped over the threshold.

He decided the best thing to do was a room-by-room search, even though there were at least a dozen patient rooms, plus the nurses' desk, plus the closets. He performed the tedious search, trying to be both fast and careful. Some rooms were completely untouched while others were painted red with blood. After searching through the third closet, he heard a noise come from the room to his left. He readied himself and flung open the door, faced with a girl. She spun around, gasping at the sudden intrusion.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" he asked, checking the room.

"What? Nothing. What are you doing here?" she asked. He looked at her, wondering why she looked so familiar. Shoulder length auburn hair, hazel eyes, freckled cheeks, solid C-cup…

"Gina? Gina the waitress?" he realized.

"Do I know…wait a sec. Coffee, black. Bacon, hash browns, and eggs over-easy." she said.

"Yeah, that's me." he admitted, giving her his award-winning smile.

"You never answered my question. What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I believe I asked first." he retorted.

"I came here looking for my fiancé." she said, scratching her arm.

"He's a doctor?" he asked.

"She's a surgeon. We're moving to D.C. to get married." she said, still scratching her arm.

Dean was caught off guard; he definitely pictured her fiancé as a dude.

"She never called last night. She always lets me know if she's working late, so when she didn't call, I came looking. She has to be in here somewhere." she said, pushing past him into the hall.

"Maggie!" she yelled, walking through a puddle of blood. Dean wondered why she was seemingly unaware of the massacre aftermath around her. "Maggie, answer me!"

He hurried to catch up to her, almost tripping over a gutted body. "Hey, listen, you need to be quiet." he whispered harshly.

"Why?" she asked as she turned to him.

"Because something will hear you." he said, finally catching up to her. She started scratching her other arm as she continued down the hall.

"Gina, hey, listen to me." he said, grabbing her by the shoulder.

"Let go!" she snapped, trying to pull away.

"You need to come with me. I'll take you somewhere safe." he said.

"Why? We're in a hospital. Besides, I'm not leaving until I find Maggie." she replied.

"Just go downstairs. Go home." he nearly begged.

She angrily looked into his eyes, still scratching. "Let me go, or I'll scream." she said. He sighed and released his grip on her. "Maggie!" she yelled. Before he could change his mind, he pistol whipped her, catching her unconscious form and slinging her over his shoulder.

He took her downstairs, running into Bobby and Cas. "Cas? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Helping." the angel replied.

"Dean, who's this?" Bobby asked, motioning to the girl.

"Remember Gina the waitress?" he asked, giving a little smile. Cas examined one of Gina's arms, looking curious, but intrigued. "Cas, can this wait? Girl's heavier than she looks." Dean said.

"Her arms seem to be covered in tiny pustules." Cas said.

"I don't see anything." Dean said, looking on. Three gunshots suddenly pierced the air, muffled by the ceiling and stairwell above them.

"Damn! Here, Bobby, take the girl. Cas, stay with him." he said, unloading her into Bobby's arms.

"You're lucky I still have upper body strength!" Bobby yelled after him as he ran up the stairs.

He reached the third floor in a matter of seconds, opening the door with haste. He heard another gunshot and went down the hall to his right, ignoring the panic in his heart.

"Sam? Sam, where are you?!" he yelled.

"In here." his brother replied. He could see a shadow in one of the rooms and stepped inside; lowering his weapon as he saw his little brother was okay.

"Woah." he said, once he looked around and spotted the dead zombies in the center of the room.

"Found Jason's room." Sam said, leading him away to the Quarantine room.

"Did you go in there?" Dean asked, scanning the abundance of gore and medical instruments in the sealed room.

"Wouldn't do it if I was paid." Sam replied.

"Come on, I found the waitress during my search. Cas found some, uh, pustules on her. Thinks they might be relevant to whatever's happening." Dean said.

"Think the angels will give us a little help on this one?" Sam asked.

"Besides Cas? Doubt it." he replied, noticing a HAZMAT mask on the bed, its visor speckled with blood.


	4. Chapter 4: Holy mother of crap!

Chapter 4: Holy mother of crap!

The hunters, angel, and unconscious waitress returned to the motel, heading into the brothers' room. The coolness of the air conditioned room was both welcoming and relieving. Sam and Dean lowered Gina onto Sam's bed, the closest to the door. As Cas began to look her over, Bobby went into his room to check the news so it wouldn't interrupt the busy-looking angel. After a couple minutes of watching Cas work, the Winchesters moved into the bathroom to talk.

"What the hell is going on around here, Dean?" Sam asked.

"I've got no friggin' clue. I mean, first this Jason kid somehow contracts the world's nastiest demonic virus, and now the Quarantine proved ineffective." the older brother replied.

"And we still have no idea how many others have been infected. For all we know, the entire city could be dead." Sam replied.

"How the hell does something like this happen overnight?" Dean asked, running a hand through his hair.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Sam replied, looking lost.

There was a pause before Dean spoke up. "We never finished the sweep at the hospital. I never cleared my floor, and we still had at least two other floors to go through."

"Are you saying you want to go back?" Sam asked.

Dean sighed heavily. "I don't know, maybe. We don't know what else is in there." he said.

"That' exactly it, Dean, we're not sure what's in there. I mean, croatoans, zombies, and werewolves we're sure of. Plus that werewolf that Bobby found, which, by the way, I still have no idea was even possible. Lycanthropy's never affected dogs before, or any animals for that matter, and werewolves can't be killed by anything that isn't silver." Sam explained.

"That's why we _should_ go back. We need to know what else we're up against." Dean said as Bobby returned. "What you got, Bobby?" he asked,

"Nothing good." Bobby answered as he approached the brothers.

"Bad news is better than no news." Dean replied.

"Be careful what you wish for, son." Bobby said.

"So, what is it?" Sam asked, glancing at the still-busy Cas.

"Big guns are coming. Army, Marines, Homeland Security, you name it. Apparently, before the hospital was overrun, the CDC sent out a warning. Bottom line is, this city will be swarming with feds and soldiers in about an hour." Bobby said.

"Okay, um, this could be a good thing." Dean said, trying to come up with a scenario that didn't end in a bloodbath.

"I don't think anything good will come out of that scenario." Cas said, flipping Gina over to look at her back.

"I know, Cas, I'm just trying to think of some way to save this oven-baked city!" Dean snapped angrily.

A soft moan escaped Gina's parted lips as she tried to get up, slapping Cas' hands away as she realized he was lifting her shirt.

"Get your hands off me, you creep!" she barked, scooting towards the other end of the bed.

"Gina, relax, we're not going to hurt you." Sam coaxed, slowly stepping forward.

"What the hell are you all doing in my room?" she asked, scratching the back of her neck.

"You're actually in our motel room." Dean said.

Her head turned to him, eyes widening in recognition. "You! You were with me at the hospital, and you…you hit me!" she growled.

"Yeah. Sorry about that." Dean fake apologized.

"Did you find Maggie?" she asked.

"No-" Dean started.

"Not yet. We wanted to get you out of there, make sure you were okay." Sam interrupted. She suddenly got up and ran into the bathroom, door slamming behind her. The sounds of her gagging and retching were audible behind the door until finally, bile was heard splashing in the toilet.

Five minutes of puking and two minutes of the faucet awkwardly passed before the hunters exchanged a worried look. Dean stepped forward and rapped his knuckles on the door, waiting for Gina to reply.

"Don't come in." she said, sounding sad.

"Just tell us if you need help." Dean said, pressing an ear to the door.

"I just need a minute." she replied, sounding shaken up. As he listened, he heard her crying and backed away from the door.

"Let's just give her a couple more minutes." he said.

Cas, who was still standing by Sam's bed, produced his angel blade, looking alarmed. "Get away from the door." he warned, approaching the bathroom.

The hunters took the angel's advice and scrambled away, grabbing a variety of weapons. They stared at the door, waiting for it to bust open or something, but nothing happened.

"Maybe she-" Bobby started, but the door opened and Gina charged out, hazel eyes turned icy blue, claws and fangs present, snarling. Sam fired a single shot, putting down the werewolf with a silver bullet headshot. The brothers looked at each other, to Bobby, to Cas.

"Holy mother of crap…" Dean exhaled, lowering his gun.

"What the hell?" Bobby asked, although it sounded more like a statement.

"Dean, you never said she was bitten." Sam said.

"She wasn't! I've seen enough werewolf bites to know what a werewolf bite looks like." Dean replied sternly.

"She has a scratch on her back, under her brassiere." Cas informed. Dean crouched by the corpse and gently flipped it over, examining the back. "Woah. That's one ugly scratch. Pretty deep." he said, holding the shirt up so the others could see.

"Bobby, have you ever seen a werewolf victim turned by anything other than a bite?" Sam asked, clearly puzzled, yet intrigued at the same time.

"Not in my lifetime." Bobby replied.

"Cas," Dean began, standing up. "you said you saw tiny bumps on her arms. Any idea what they were?" he asked.

"I've never seen anything like-" Castiel suddenly cut himself off, looking around.

"Cas?" Dean asked, watching him intently.

"Cas, what is it?" Sam asked, on edge.

"More are coming." Cas announced, peeking around the urine-covered curtains. The hunters moved to the window, hearts dropping as they saw thirty, maybe forty of the city's four monsters of choice sprinting towards the motel.

"Son of a-" Bobby started.

"How do they know we're here?" Sam asked.

"We're probably the only fresh meat in town. They want us, bad." Dean said, grabbing more weapons from his duffel. Sam and Bobby quickly grabbed extra ammunition and weapons from their respective bags.

"If we make it through this, we are so calling back-up." Dean advised, opening the door and taking aim.


	5. Chapter 5 Weapons of Monster Destruction

Chapter 5: Weapons of Monster Destruction

Private First Class Thomas Zesk climbed into the Humvee along with the rest of his squad. He was a little sketchy on the details of the current mission, but he wasn't alone. The vehicle was abuzz with talk of an apparent 'monster outbreak' in Phoenix. As the Humvee began its journey, with several more vehicles, including tanks, behind it, Thomas couldn't help but wonder about what would await them as they arrived in Phoenix an hour later.

_75 minutes later_

The city of Phoenix was little more than a warzone now. Bullets flew in every direction, trying to put down every 'infected' person in sight. As Thomas ran to catch up with his squad, he realized the joking talk of monsters a little over an hour earlier was undeniable, frighteningly true. Zombie-esque corpses littered the ground in pools of goop and blood. Movie-like werewolves and vampires were also now an apparent reality, as he himself killed one of the wolves with a grenade.

His squad stopped near the mouth of an alley, their commander peeking around to make sure it was clear. Thomas stepped over the body of a young girl, her hair covered in her own blood that oozed from a most likely reluctant headshot. He knelt down, knowing his squad was on the move.

"Zesk, move it!" the squad's leader barked roughly. He looked up, as if he was startled out of a trance.

Almost in slow motion, his squad was running towards him and aimed their weapons. He saw movement and was tackled to the ground as the girl bit into his neck. He screamed in pain and fear, frantically tearing her mouth from the side of his neck, already feeling the onset of heavy blood loss. The squirming vampire girl was pried from Thomas' grip as the medic pulled him away. He watched in disbelief as the girl refused to die, no matter how many bullets were put into her body.

He was forced to lie down as Jorkarsky, the medic, started to apply pressure to the bite in his neck while simultaneously bandaging it with gauze. He shivered, feeling like he was dunked in an ice bath. He knew he was dying and even then couldn't believe it. He always thought he'd go out heroically, not by a damn vampire bite!

One of his squad mates kept whispering in his ear, trying to keep him from closing his eyes. He wanted to stay awake, he wanted to keep fighting, but the battle was not one he'd win. He looked around the city, wishing there wasn't death and destruction everywhere he looked. He wanted his last sight to be completely untouched by war. The last thing his eyes willed himself to see before he succumbed to the blood loss was four civilians emerge from a building, all of them armed with various weapons.

(Sam)

As the mob of monsters drew closer, his brother was the first to open fire, ganking a particularly crazed looking croatoan. He followed in his footsteps, leaving the tiny motel room and putting down a werewolf. Bobby had his home-made flamethrower ready and ignited three vampires and a zombie in one sweep. Cas was faring well; he had teleported behind the advancing swarm and killed the stragglers with his deathly angel touch.

The hunters were forced to retreat as the still-large crowd became too close for comfort. They took cover behind the Impala, against Dean's protests of it getting hurt. After the killing of a few more zombies, they were forced to head into a nearby building while Cas continued killing by touch, and the occasional angel blade skewering.

As the door to the building was closed, Cas teleported inside.

"Cas, you okay?" Dean asked.

"Yes, I'm fine." Cas replied. Sam turned on his flashlight and began looking around as the others barricaded the door.

"Sam, now might be a good time to call for backup." Dean said, helping Bobby flip over a stainless steel table.

(Pestilence)

War's health was deteriorating as every second slipped by, and it was killing him to just sit and watch. He wanted to pop down to Phoenix and kill the Winchesters slowly, and oh so painfully. Maybe he'd give them Typhoid fever and watch them develop fevers, diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, and hallucinations. Or maybe he'd go with Smallpox…that would be a goody! He could also choose rabies…watching the Winchesters experience drooling, difficulty swallowing, fevers, muscle spasms, seizures, paralysis, and foaming at the mouth would be quite entertaining. Oooh! Maybe he'd go with…

He was shaken from his tantalizing thoughts as War abruptly became catatonic, non-responsive.

"War?" Famine asked, lightly tapping his brother's mutilated hand in worry.

"Brother!" Death cried, checking War's vitals. War gave no response to the poking and prodding as he just stared into space.

"Those Winchesters! Our plan is taking too long! I want them dead!" he yelled, looking away from War's pathetic figure.

"Our plan is working just fine. Even with the angel's help, they can't fend off the entire city. They are woefully outnumbered and they know it. By the time they begin to fall, they'll wish their deaths could be quicker." Death informed calmly.

Famine wheeled around to look at Pestilence. "I feel your rage, brother, I do, but any way we kill them will be equally satisfying. Let's watch it play out." he said.

"Not a full day ago, you were sided with me on ripping them apart regardless of Lucifer's wishes!" Pestilence replied, agreeing and disagreeing with his brothers.

"That was before War became near comatose. There's no sense in suffering through the brat's rant after he finds out we destroyed his vessel." Famine said, understanding his brother's anger. Pestilence sighed in frustration, flipping a switch in his brain to watch the carnage continue to unfold in Phoenix.

(Bobby)

He hung up his cell after his call to Rufus. "Well, Rufus says he finished a case in Salt Lake City. He'll be here as soon as-" he started, but Cas reappeared with Ellen and Jo, both carrying bags of weapons, ammo, and supplies.

"Rufus is in Salt Lake City, Utah." Dean said. Cas vanished and Ellen set her bags down.

"Care to explain what your angel friend meant by 'we need your help, please gather up weapons'?" the older woman asked.

"And where we are?" the younger chimed in.

"Welcome to the capitol of Arizona, population: zero." Dean said, giving his award-winning smile, which was barely visible in the dim, three-flashlight-light source.

When Cas returned with a confused Rufus, the room was filled with the light emitted from a lantern Ellen brought along. No visible windows were in the room, so the light could be more than a dim glow. As the situation was explained to the three newcomers, gunfire was heard outside. Lots of it.

Everyone armed up and made their way to the front entrance of the building, watching as soldiers and monsters collided in battle.

"Son of a bitch." Dean said, throwing open the door and firing a silver round into a werewolf. Bobby followed Sam and Dean outside, and was followed by Rufus. They took the scene in before Ellen, Jo, and Cas also emerged.

A building near the intersection exploded as a tank fired, bringing the hunters' hands to their ears.

"Those yahoos are gonna get themselves killed! Bullets on a vamp or wolf won't do any good!" Bobby yelled, unsure if he was even heard.

"Then we better give them a hand!" Ellen yelled.

"Okay. Bobby, Rufus, and I will head left. The rest of you, go right. Try to save as many of these guys as you can, kill any S.O.B. that moves, and be careful." Dean said loudly.

The groups parted ways, heading into separate areas of turmoil.


	6. Chapter 6: FUBAR

Chapter 6: FUBAR

"Sarge! Zesk is dead! He's dead!"

Dean, Bobby, and Rufus stopped as they reached the nearest group of soldiers. Two were just getting up to rejoin the fight when they spotted the civilians.

"We've got three armed civilians!" one of the soldiers yelled. Out of nowhere, a little girl vampire pounced at the hunters, but was decapitated mid-leap by Dean.

"Holy shi-!" a soldier exclaimed, but dropped to the ground as a werewolf leapt and crushed his neck under its paws. Rufus fired a silver bullet into the beast's heart as Dean pulled the closest soldier away.

"Bobby, get him to the warehouse!" Dean yelled, handing the soldier over to the older hunter. After watching the leaving dup to make sure their path was clear, Dean noticed Ellen and Jo aid a handful of soldiers away. As he and Rufus stood their ground, more and more monsters closed in on the area. Upon Bobby's return, the three of them proceeded to move up the road, saving as many soldiers as they could, and sending as many creatures back to hell as they could.

By the time the two groups of hunters (and one angel) circled around to each other, there was an estimated total of thirteen soldiers in the warehouse. They returned to said warehouse, faced with scared, confused men and one authoritative sergeant. Everyone was very stressed, adding to the thickness of the room's 'feel'; its energy, its aura.

"What the hell is going one out there?" one freaked out soldier asked, visibly shaking.

"I don't think you'd believe us if we told you." Sam answered, peeking through the window.

"Even _after_ what you saw." Rufus agreed.

"So, Sergeant." Dean started, facing the middle-aged man. "Feel free to enlighten us. When are more of your buddies arriving?" he asked. The soldier remained quiet.

"Sarge?" the medic asked.

"There won't be any more." the sergeant replied.

"What? Why?" Jo asked.

"No more are coming? No one's coming for us?" a soldier asked, setting his rifle by his feet.

"This is totally FUBAR!" another man yelled.

"What about the news? The CDC sent out a warning." Bobby said.

"We were sent here to determine the scale of threat. When HQ doesn't hear that we've secured a safe zone, they'll move to Plan B." the sergeant continued.

"What's plan B?" a soldier with an impossible number of freckles asked.

"Decontamination." the sergeant replied with a sigh of annoyance.

"They're going to bomb the city? With us in it?" Jo asked.

"You better give your boss a call." Ellen said.

"Radio hasn't worked since we entered the city."

"Here." Sam said, taking out his phone. He faltered as he noticed the screen.

_No signal_.

"I made a call half an hour ago!" he insisted, stuffing the cell into his pocket.

"I don't have any bars either." Dean mumbled.

"Let's just load up the Humvee and get the hell out of dodge." Ellen suggested.

"It won't work. Vehicles stopped working shortly after coming into Phoenix." the freckled soldier said.

"The guns still work on 'em, just not the engines. Same applies to the tanks." another man spoke up.

"So either we stay here with the big guns, and either get torn to shreds or vaporized…or we try o make it out of here on foot. Those are our options, right?" Bobby asked.

"Pretty much." came a reply.

"Ten what are we waiting for?" a soldier asked, shouldering his weapon.

"Hold on, cowboy. We need to be smart about this." Dean said.

"Oh, _now_ you want to be smart." Sam mumbled under his breath.

"I heard that!" Dean snapped.

"Boys…" Bobby glared.

"Dean's right. We don't know what else is out there, or how many. We need to stock up on ammo, food, water, especially water." Rufus said.

"How long after lost radio contact until they send the bombs?" Jo asked.

There was no reply.

"Sarge?" a soldier pried.

"One hour." the authority figure replied.

"And how long has it been so far?" Sam asked, not wanting to hear the answer.

"Twenty minutes." was the reply…the nail in the coffin.

A/N: FUBAR means 'fucked up beyond all recognition' other versions I've seen include 'fucked up beyond all repair' and 'fouled up beyond all repair' and other combinations of fucked/fouled and repair/recognition.


	7. Chapter 7: Slim Chance to No Chance

Chapter 7: Slim Chance to No Chance

(Ellen)

There was little doubt in her mind that this day could get any worse. Not only were they trapped in the middle of a monster plagued city, but now they had a ticking clock against them to get out.

"Alright, supplies, um, I'm pretty sure there's a store down the block." Sam said, heading to the front of the warehouse.

"Cas, any way you can give us a little divine intervention? Maybe pop over to the closest Army base and give them a little mechanical failure so we can clear out this city of any supernatural inhabitants?" Dean asked.

The angel concentrated for a minute, but nothing was happening. "I'm being blocked."

"Blocked by what?" she asked.

"Horsemen." Cas replied.

"Which one?" Dean asked, alarmed.

"All except War." he replied.

"I guess they know we pinched his ring." Dean muttered.

"Dean, let's go!" Sam urged.

"Okay, okay. Everyone just stay put." Dean ordered, leaving with his brother. Ellen watched them go, unsure whether she should feel scared for them, or confident they would return successfully.

For the next ten minutes, the hunters informed the soldiers about what they were up against, and what weapons would work on what enemy.

Shots rang out through the air and everyone moved to the front to look out the window. The Winchesters were retreating and firing at oncoming creatures. Rufus opened the door and he and Bobby fired their weapons.

"Sam! Dean! Come on!" Jo yelled, worry toning her voice.

Ellen watched in fear as a werewolf (a normal, non-bestial one) jumped onto a tank, following the boys with its eyes, and pounced for the kill. It knocked Dean to the ground and she heard him cry out. Sam turned around at the sound, killing an advancing croatoan.

"Sam, go!" Dean yelled, struggling to keep the beast's gnashing teeth away from his chest as he reached for his gun, which was just out of reach. Ellen raised her, which was thankfully loaded with silver bullets, and fired, blowing half the werewolf's head clean off.

Dean quickly scrambled to his feet and grabbed his bag as Sam grabbed the fallen gun. As the brothers sprinted into the warehouse, the wave of monsters stopped in their tracks and backed off…almost as if they knew the chase was now unwinnable.

Bobby locked the door as the brothers set their clearly full duffel bags on the floor.

"Man, that was close." Dean remarked, giving a small smile that seemed to be a discharge of a sudden stop of adrenaline production.

"Okay, so we have supplies, can we get out of here now?" a soldier spoke.

"First, let's see what we have, shall we? Then we'll divide it up. Only then, soldier, will we get out of this city." Rufus said as he opened Sam's bag. Packs of bottled water, boxes of granola bars, more bottled water, and a variety of power bars. Dean's bag contained guns and ammo…and a bag of peanut M&M's. Rufus raised an eyebrow at the eldest Winchester, who defensively snatched up the candy.

That's when Ellen noticed the blood surrounding a tear in Dean's jacket, on his left shoulder.

'_No_…' she thought worriedly.

"Dean, did you get scratched or bit by that werewolf?" she asked. Everyone turned their attention to Dean, who craned his neck to try and get a good look at the wound.

"I think I cut it on a shard of glass when I was pounced. Didn't even feel it." he said, seemingly unconcerned by the potentially fatal injury.

"Are you sure that she-wolf didn't get you, son?" Bobby asked.

"Yes!" Dean snapped, setting down the candy. Ellen gave him her best motherly 'you can't fool me' scolding glare. "Okay, maybe one claw lightly scraped my shoulder." he admitted.

Sam let out a breath that sounded like it had caught in his throat.

"Dammit!" Bobby yelled out.

"It's not like I planned for that bitch to play 'snatch the heart out of the handsome man's chest'!" Dean snapped, placing a hand on the scratch.

"Cas, is there anything you can do to help him?" Sam asked, eyes watering with desperation.

"There is nothing that I know of. Based on the experience with Gina, we only have fifty six minutes until you turn." Castiel replied. The room was silent and everything around the hunters was forgotten. The soldiers, the heat, the couple-thousand monsters stalking them, and the soon-to-be inbound missiles. None of it mattered at the moment. Not a damn thing.

(Dean)

As everything they salvaged was being rationed between everyone, including Ellen's and Jo's supplies, he was forced to sit on a stool. His shoulder had begun to itch and burn and throb and he knew that was bad news.

Sam and Cas were at his side, examining him…and by 'examine', they meant 'hold down and scrutinize'.

"The scratch is inflamed and he has the same pustules surrounding it that the waitress had on her arms. His temperature is elevated, and his eyes have become…red-rimmed." Cas reported as he examined every inch of his body. Up until he got uncomfortable…navel to knees was strictly angel-jazz-hands-off-limits.

"And Gina had these same symptoms?" Sam asked, swallowing nervously.

"No. Her scratch wasn't inflamed, and her eyes weren't irritated." Cas responded, lightly pulling the edges of the scratch.

"Cas…" Dean spoke, feeling a grimace emerge on his lips. "Can you stop that? It looks like I have a vagina on my shoulder, and you peeking into it doesn't help the situation." he added, glad when his scratch returned to looking like a scratch.

"So what's the news?" Jo asked, sadly looking from brother to brother.

"Not good." Sam said, trying to pull off a brave face. There was a brief moment of silence before Bobby and Ellen came over.

"We've split up the supplies. We're ready to go." Ellen said, trying to avoid looking at Dean.

"How much time do we have until the bombs begin to burst in the air?" Dean asked, giving a failed attempt at humor.

"Twenty seven minutes and counting." Bobby replied, looking down. Everyone was trying to avoid eye contact with him! He wasn't contagious through eye contact!

"Well this just keeps getting better and better." Dean replied, rubbing his temples. He stood up and immediately regretted the action. His vision quickly blurred and darkened, and just as quickly, it corrected. He saw blood drip onto the floor and was vaguely aware his nose was bleeding before the world around him ceased to exist and the cement floor rushed at him, and he realized he was fainting.

He woke up face-down on the cold cement floor. His first instinct would have been to reach for his gun, but his head was swimming with pain and any form of thinking or instincts flew right out the window. He slowly flipped himself onto his back and groaned. He opened his eyes and was completely caught off guard when a freckled face was looking down at him.

"Hello, Dean." the soldier said.

"Uh, hi." Dean said, wincing as he sat up. "Where's my brother?

"He's safe." freckles replied. Dean looked around the warehouse, realizing everyone was gone.

"What the hell?" he asked groggily.

"Hell? I hardly think so." the freckled soldier replied, standing.

Dean also stood, leaning against the wall for support. "What are you?" he asked, finally reaching for his gun in his waistband.

"Deep down, Dean, you know who and what I am." the soldier replied, if he was even really a soldier. Dean's thoughts came up empty as his mind searched for answers.

"Zacharia's told you about me. About your purpose with me." freckles hinted.

Dean shook his head in disbelief and anger. "You're Michael? Seriously!? What, you've been here this entire time and didn't lift a finger to help? You may be an archangel, but you're a dick just like all but one angel that I've met." he spat, scratching his shoulder.

"You should know I'm not like my brothers, Dean. And to prove it…" the angel-possessed soldier placed a hand on Dean's shoulder. His shoulder burned, then cooled down, and completely healed before his eyes.

"Son of a bitch." he muttered. For lack of better words, he was impressed.

"Dean, listen to me. When you wake up, you'll be completely healed. I'll also take care of the bombing run, and the Horsemen disease outbreak. You won't remember I'm possessing this man, and I'll fix everything regarding the soldiers' and your friends' trip back in time. None of them will remember anything from the past thirty six hours." Michael said, lightly touching Dean's forehead.

He awoke on Bobby's couch, the familiar scent of the elder hunter's favorite whiskey wafting into his nostrils.

"Hey." Sam greeted, walking into the room.

"Hey yourself." Dean said, sitting up. He scratched his shoulder absent-mindedly.

"Bobby found us a case." Sam said, giving his brother a mug of coffee.

"Yeah? Where at?" he asked, gulping down the beverage.

"Phoenix."

Dean stiffened, feeling an overwhelming sensation of dread. "What's over there?" he asked, hoping his brother didn't notice the momentary freeze.

"Dude, you're not going to believe this. The entire city's population vanished overnight." Sam explained.


	8. Chapter 8: Best Left Forgotten

A/N: Last chapter! Hope it's a fitting ending.

Chapter 8: Best Left Forgotten

"So, out of the entire city, there are only two survivors." Sam informed as he looked at Dean, who was driving the beloved Impala.

"Two? I thought you said the entire place was decimated." Dean said, unable to shake the feeling that something big was being forgotten.

"It may as well have. Jason Bertemme, seventeen, and Gina LeTor, twenty three, are both in a coma. Doctors think they won't wake up. Ever." Sam replied.

"So, what exactly are we going to do when we get to Phoenix: population two?" Dean asked.

"Well, eye witness reports from a passing Army transport claim the city was 'bathed in a brilliant white light'." Bobby recounted from the back seat.

"Sounds angel-y." Dean said, pulling into a diner.

"We still have ten hours to go before we reach Phoenix, Dean. What, you need a bathroom break already?" Sam asked.

"I don't know about you, but I need a cup of black coffee from a good ol' diner." the older brother replied with a small smile.

After the refreshment, and ten cramped hours of driving, the hunters arrived in Phoenix. Cops, feds, and soldiers were posted at every intersection they passed. As they pulled in at St. Joseph's Hospital, they threw on their fed suits and grabbed their fake ID's.

Gina and Jason were both on the first floor, and both rooms were void of visitors.

"I'll see what I can get in Jason's room. Dean, do you want to have Gina's?" Sam asked.

Dean had stopped several feet back, looking at a group of soldiers down an adjoining hall.

"Dean, you okay?" Bobby asked, snapping the Winchester out of his trance.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Actually, Bobby, you can have Gina's room. I'll catch you guys later." Dean said, moving down the adjoining hall.

"Excuse me, I'm Agent Plant, FBI. I was wondering if I could get a few words with you." he announced, showing the men his badge.

"Whatever you need." one of the men said.

"And you are?" he asked.

"Private First Class Thomas Zesk. I was the one who first spotted the lights, sir." the soldier said.

"Alright, Mr. Zesk, first things first. You don't have to 'sir' me." he said.

"Sorry, sir. I mean-" Zesk stuttered.

"At ease, soldier." Dean said, nodding and smiling. Another soldier left the group, glancing back at Dean.

"Excuse me for a minute." he said, feeling a sudden need to have a face-to-face with the freckled soldier.

" 'Scuse me, I'm Agent Plant. I need to talk with-" he started.

"You need to get your brother and your friend and get out of Arizona, Dean." the soldier said.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" he asked.

"We've met once before. You must leave this state before the Horsemen unleash their wrath. I took care of the imminent threat, that being the population." the soldier said. Dean's face contorted in confusion. What was this kid talking about? The Horsemen were planning something? How could he know that?

"But I drew too much attention here, and the same outbreak will happen again unless I do something right now." the soldier said.

"Horsemen? How do…what are you?" he asked.

"You won't remember any of this anyways." the soldier explained.

"Remember? Remember what?" Dean asked, confused as hell.

The soldier smiled. "Some memories are best left forgotten, Dean. Remember that. You and Sam, your roles, your destinies, have not yet been fulfilled. What's about to happen to this city is nothing compared to our plans for you and your brother. One leveled city won't even begin to matter if we lose the war." he said.

"War? What war? The Apocalypse?" Dean asked.

"Yes, Dean. You'll say 'yes' to me in good time." the soldier said, touching Dean's forehead.

He woke up with a start, staring at a bunch of open books. Sam was typing away on his laptop, glancing at the sudden movement of his waking brother.

"Research giving you bad dreams now, Dean?" Sam asked.

"What? No! I just…had a very strange dream." Dean replied, rubbing a hand over his face.

"Not as strange as what I've found for our case. We've got another missing person." Sam said.

"A third? Who do you think'll be the culprit? I mean, first James Dean, then Honest Abe. I'm thinking we'll be hearing about Bonnie and Clyde next." Dean said.

"Well, we're about to find out. Two witnesses are waiting for us at the station, let's go." Sam said.

As they left their motel room, Dean kept thinking he was forgetting something. There was something about to happen, or something had already happened… Something big, he just couldn't put his finger on it.

He locked the motel room door and got in his Impala, wishing he knew what was nagging at him.


End file.
